Verses of God in the events of 1447 AH
Servants of God, in this sermon we want to stand with the most prominent events witnessed in the past year (1447 AH), in order to draw lessons and lessons from them, for God Almighty says:And remind them of the days of God. Indeed, in that are signs for every patient and thankful person.(Ibrahim: 5).
The year 1447 AH has folded its papers and become one of the pages of history, but it has left behind major events and great facts that deserve to be stopped and contemplated, not just to know the news, but to take cues and take into account these news.
The year 1447 AH has passed with its great events and great events, in which people saw the volatility of the world and the speed of changing conditions, and they saw with their own eyes that all power belongs to God, and that no matter how much progress and knowledge a person attains, he remains weak before God’s destiny and decree.
The believer does not look at events only with the eye of sight, but rather looks at them with the eye of insight, and knows that behind every event there is wisdom, and behind every destiny is a message, and he remembers the saying of God Almighty:Indeed, in that is a lesson for those with insight.(Al-Nour: 44).
Last year, the tragedy of our people in Palestine continued and continues, and the scenes of destruction, killing, and displacement that the world followed moment by moment continued, until people saw entire neighborhoods leveled to the ground, hospitals bombed, children being pulled from under the rubble, and thousands of families who lost their children, their families, and their homes.
Many people thought that modern civilization, international laws, and global institutions were sufficient to protect the weak and deter the oppressors, but events revealed to all people that material force alone does not create justice, and that humanity, no matter how much it claims progress, is still unable to prevent injustice when it conflicts with their religions and interests.
The greatest lesson we learn from these events is that victory is not due to the abundance of numbers and equipment alone, but rather with the support of God Almighty alone, and that if a nation turns away from the sources of its true strength of faith, unity, and adherence to God, the affliction will be prolonged for it, as the Almighty said:You will surely be tested in your wealth and your souls, and you will hear much harm from those who were given the Scripture before you and from those who associate others with others, and if you are patient. And beware, for that is part of the determination of matters.(Al Imran: 186).
Last year, we saw the continuation of wars and conflicts, as a result of which lives were lost and millions were displaced from their homes. People saw with their own eyes how populous cities turn into rubble, and how a person loses in moments what he has accumulated over long years. And God Almighty spoke the truth when he said:If an ulcer touches you, an ulcer like it has already touched the people. And those days We will alternate them among the people, so that God may know those who believe and take from you Martyrs, and God does not like the wrongdoers.(Al Imran: 140).
One of the great events that took place last year was what happened in the Philippines, when the earth shook with a violent earthquake. Buildings collapsed, roads cracked, and thousands of people lost their homes, money, and loved ones in just a few minutes.
Man lives on this earth reassured and stable, building, planning, and hoping, and then one shock comes and changes all conditions, and reminds people that the land they walk on does not belong to them, but rather it is a soldier of God and a servant of His servants, controlled by God as He wills, Glory be to Him, the Most High.Do you feel safe from the one in the sky lest the earth swallow the earth for you, and behold, it is dying?*Or do you believe that He who is in heaven will send against you a reaper? Then you will know what a warner we are.(Al-Mulk: 16-17)Do those who plot evil deeds feel secure that God will cause the earth to swallow them up or that the torment will come to them from where they do not perceive?*Or He takes them into their turmoil, but they are not miraculous.(An-Nahl: 45-46).
These events teach us that the world is rapidly changing, and that salvation is not due to the abundance of money or the power of authority, but rather by obedience to God and preparation to meet Him. How many strong people have become weak, how many rich people have become poor, how many believers have become fearful, and how many healthy people have become sick, and all of this reminds us of the Almighty’s saying:Everyone on it is mortal*And the face of your Lord remains the Possessor of majesty and honor.(Al-Rahman: 26, 27).
People succeeded in monitoring the earthquake and determining its center and strength, but they were unable to prevent it, stop it, or even change its course, so that the lesson remains clear to everyone with insight: that the causes, no matter how great, remain limited, and that the absolute power belongs to God alone.Do the people of the villages feel secure that Our punishment will come to them overnight while they are sleeping?*Did the people of the villages believe that Our punishment would come to them in the forenoon while they were playing?*Do they believe in the plan of God? No one believes in the plan of God except the people who are losers.﴾[Al-A’raf: 97-99].
We saw devastating earthquakes, powerful floods, deadly hurricanes, and widespread fires that swept through various regions of the earth, rendering human capabilities powerless before them, and people stood watching the power of God in His universe, in confirmation of His Almighty’s saying:And none knows the soldiers of your Lord except Him, and it is only a reminder to mankind.(Al-Muddaththir: 31).
Last year, the world witnessed a direct confrontation between the Persians and the Romans, and the two sides exchanged military strikes that made the world anticipate a wide war that might change the face of the entire region.
In a few days, global markets became turbulent, energy prices rose, and the calculations of major countries changed.
And here a great lesson becomes clear to us, which is that security is a great blessing whose value is known only to those who have lost it. How many people left their home safe and returned to them in fear, how many cities that used to enjoy stability began to live in anxiety and anticipation, and how many nations and countries thought that danger was far away from them, but then it came knocking on their doors.Let them worship the Lord of this house*Who fed them against hunger and made them safe from fear(Quraysh: 3, 4).
Another of the events of the past year was the rapid development in artificial intelligence technologies that the world witnessed, to the point that people started talking about a future completely different from what humanity had known before, and artificial intelligence programs began to accomplish tasks that required great human effort in a short time.
Despite all this, a person who has reached these advanced stages of knowledge is still unable to know what will happen to him tomorrow, and he cannot prevent death from himself when his time comes, nor increase his lifespan by a single moment, nor prevent illness from himself? And he cannot ward off God’s judgment if it comes down? ﴿Indeed, God has knowledge of the Hour, and He will send down rain, and He knows what is in the wombs, and no soul knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in what land. You die. Indeed, God is All-Knowing, All-Aware(Luqman: 34).
It is a renewed message to us that knowledge, no matter how broad it is, is limited, and that the Creator, Glory be to Him, is the All-Knowing, the Wise, who encompasses everything with knowledge, and that the world is not a place of rest, and that power, no matter how great, no matter how great knowledge, and no matter how much money, is under the authority and control of God.
No matter how much knowledge a person attains, he remains a weak servant who lacks his Lord, as God Almighty said:And above all those who have knowledge is the All-Knowing([Yusuf: 76])And you have not been given of knowledge except a little.(Al-Isra: 85).
May God bless you and me in the Great Qur’an.
The second sermon
Servants of God, if we contemplate the events that took place last year 1447 AH, we find that they differ in their forms and places, but they come together in one meaning, which is that God Almighty shows His servants of His signs that remind them of Him, awakens the heedless, alerts the forgetful, and teaches man the truth about himself.
A war here, an earthquake there, economic turmoil here and there, and technologies developing at an astonishing speed, all of which call out to people: Do not be deceived by the world, do not rely on your own strength, and do not forget your Lord.
Earthquakes tell people: Do not be deceived by your strength.
Wars tell people: Do not rely on your world.
The fluctuations of politics tell people: Do not feel safe from the deception of your Lord.
Economic crises tell people: Do not depend on your money.
And death, which kidnaps people every day, says to everyone: Prepare to meet your Creator.
The greatest lesson a Muslim can learn from the year 1447 AH is that the world is fleeting, that lifespans are short, that the wise person is the one who considers others before being an example to others, and that the happy one is the one who makes these events a reason to increase his faith, his fear of his Lord, and his readiness to meet his Lord.
God Almighty says:We will show them Our signs on the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth.(Fussilat: 53).
Our Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, told about the many temptations and fluctuations in conditions at the end of time, and he said:“Hasten to do deeds, temptations like pieces of a dark night.”.
Pray and greet.